Phi Beta Delta, the honor society recognizing international achievements, helds its spring awards program on April 6. Dean Will Norton (Journalism and Mass Communications) was presented with the International Scholar of the Year Award for faculty. The student International Scholar of the Year Award went to Daniela Bautista, an undergraduate student in Food Science and Technology from Honduras. Honorary membership was awarded to Greg Ibach, Director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. The Phi Beta Delta Scholarship for study abroad was given to Brook Glaser, who will study in Thailand next year. Last year's scholarship winner, Emily Rose Smith, gave a presentation on her study abroad experience in Ecuador.

The Lincoln International Networking Community program was created by the Office of International Affairs in order to assist new incoming international students in their adjustment to life in Lincoln and at UNL. At the Connections Party, a new international student is matched to a mentor, usually a local student or community member interested in international involvement within the Lincoln community. Mentors and students meet (or contact each other) once a week for the first 8 weeks of class during the semester and beyond based upon common agreement.
     The LINK program was piloted in Spring 2008. This was the very first semester that any matching was performed. Sixty-six LINC matches were made, and over 70 students were given a mentor. In the Fall of 2008, LINC's second semester, 76 LINC matches were made at the Connections Party, plus 26 more matches made based on a waitlist system for students and mentors that had time conflicts with the Connections Party. In Spring 2009, 67 LINC participants were matched at the Connections Party, plus 14 more students and mentors from the waitlist were matched later.
     During this last session (Spring 2009), LINC featured several exciting additions, such as the newly created Facebook group, "LINC -- Lincoln International Networking Community," where discussion boards have been set up for members to share their experiences in a more open format than that of the current LINC website. Also new this semester was a group event within the 8-week session: a special tour of the Nebraska State Capitol Building led by Tours Supervisor Roxanne Smith. Ms. Smith graciously gave the tour a special "international" touch for the group. One way the tour was promoted to LINC participants was through the brand new LINC newsletter, LINC INK, which will be published several times throughout each LINC session. The newsletter features important LINC information, as well as tips and activity suggestions from former mentors. LINC INK is sent out to all LINC participants. Key to helping to create and implement these additions have been volunteer LINC Coordinators Lina Parrado (2008) and Lindsey Goding (2010). The volunteer coordinator position was new this semester. Under the guidance of Sarah Barr, UNL Study Abroad & Exchange Program Advisor, the coordinators' responsibilities also included helping to plan and assist with the Connections and Closing parties, as well as tracking student/mentor pairs and creating new matches as necessary following the Connections Party. The Volunteer LINC Coordinator position is vital to the continued success and growth of the LINC program.

Laura Rodriguez Cabo and Guadalupe Uceta Ruiz, coming to UNL from Spain, are participants this semester in the Harold E. Spencer Program of exchange in Teacher Education. These international students are completing requirements for their diploma in teaching at University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) in Toledo.
     The two students are engaged in a series of tutorials, course work, and practice teaching under the supervision of Dr. Thomas McGowan, Chair of the Department of Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education, Dr. Aleidine Moeller, Edith Greer Professor of Teacher Education, Dr. Harriet Turner, Director of International Affairs and Dr. Arlen Etling, Agricultural Education and Leadership. Laura and Guadalupe are engaged in practice teaching at Prescott Elementary School in Lincoln under the supervision Mr. Paul Canny, Principal. In 2008 the exchange involved two UNL students and four UCLM students. Two of these students returned this semester to enroll in UNL' s Intensive English program and two others plan to enroll in IEP this July.
     The exchange program with the Escuela de Magisterio--University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) honors UNL alumnus Harold E. Spencer. UNL student Matthew Weiner is participating this semester in the exchange in Toledo. His program consists of two major components: immersion in Spanish and in Spanish culture and civilization, sponsored by ESTO (Espanol en Toledo), and a residency at the School of Education in Toledo that offers both coursework and a practicum in local schools.

Study Abroad Advisors

Megan Anderson (right) and Chad Novacek (left) joined the Office of International Affairs this year as Study Abroad Advisors.

The "Atlas of Sorghum Production in Eastern and Southern Africa" was recently published by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is available on-line at http://intsormil.org/smscientificpubs.htm. Martha Mamo and Charles Wortmann of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture co-authored this publication with collaborators from eight countries of eastern and southern Africa. It presents information on 39 sorghum production areas in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe accounting for 3.5 million hectares of annual production. For each production area, information is provided on cropping systems, 43 yield limiting constraints, phenotypic preferences, uses, marketing, and gender and family roles. The development and publication of this atlas was supported by the USAID-funded Sorghum, Millet, and Other Grains Collaborative Research Support Program (INTSORMIL).

In April, Marjorie F. Lou (Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences) was in Sweden to give an invited seminar on Oxidative Stress and Cataract at the Uppsala University; and was in Umea, Sweden, where she was invited as the sole External Expert to be an Opponent for a doctoral thesis defense ceremony at the Umea University. The invitation was extended by Professor Anders Behndig of the Department of Clinical Sciences/Ophthalmology, and the PhD candidate was Dr. Behndig's own student. The graduate study education system in Sweden is very different from the United States. The Swedish system requires an external expert to be the examiner for the doctoral candidate's thesis in an open forum ceremony. It is a quite elaborate procedure as described below:

"The ceremony is usually introduced by the chairman, who presents the doctoral candidate, the title of the dissertation, the faculty opponent, and the examination committee members. The chairman gives the doctoral candidate the opportunity to speak first. At this point the candidate may state any corrections in the dissertation. The chairman then gives the floor to the opponent for presentation and summary of the dissertation. It is desirable if the opponent also gives a more comprehensive picture of the area of research that is treated in the dissertation and thereby sets the results of the dissertation in larger context. This statement should be limited to fifteen to twenty minutes. The opponent then asks the doctoral candidate if the overview and summary give a correct picture of the dissertation contents and the doctoral candidate replies. The opponent may then, if this has been agreed upon, ask the doctoral candidate to complete the presentation. The opponent may also choose to let the doctoral candidate begin by presenting the dissertation for 15-20 minutes. Regardless of which alternative the opponent chooses, the doctoral candidate must be informed at least one week in advanced of which alternative the opponent will use. After that the actual review of the dissertation begins. This may vary in form and scope, but should mainly be a dialogue between the opponent and respondent. After the opponent's review the examination committee and the auditorium must be given the opportunity to ask questions and present viewpoints. Critical viewpoints from the examination committee will be presented during the thesis defence ceremony. The auditorium will be given the opportunity to present viewpoints. There is no maximum time for a public defence of the thesis. The examination committee may decide to take a break during the public defence of the thesis if it is lengthy. The chairman adjourns the thesis defence ceremony."